The College Football Thread 2006

[Imran Siddiqui]

Though its partly a product of good offenses and wearing down the defenses. After all, Louisville basically shut down Miami, which may not be that great this year, but is a decent offense. But WVU was never known as a great defensive squad... they usually win by outscoring people.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Man... at least Rutgers faces Louisville at home, but Brohm looks totally healed from that bad thumb. I fear what he'll do to the Scarlet Knights' D next week (Rutgers doesn't have nearly the offense WVU has)

(though beating WVU and Rutgers will definitely improve Louisville's strength of schedule)

[Drake Tungsten]

It's a shame Slaton got hurt in the third; took a lot of drama out of the game. Still fun to watch, though.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yeah... probably would have been closer in the end had Slaton not gotten hurt, but Louisville is a great team. Louisville-Rutgers next Thursday should be fun as well .

[Drake Tungsten]

I'll be watching it. Big East games are way more exciting than SEC games.

[DanS]

Welcome to the WAC East.

[Drake Tungsten]

The WAC doesn't have players of the caliber of Brian Brohm or Steve Slaton.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Hell, the WAC doesn't have players the caliber of Tyler Palko and Ray Rice.

[reismark]

Anyone who thinks that the WAC is anywhere near the caliber of the Big East this year is utterly foolish. Then again, anyone who continues to vote for USC as high as DanS does is doubly so.

As crazy as this sounds, guys - Louisville winning last night and being the team to go on a national title run may have been the better option for the Big East's hopes of having a national title game representative in the long run. The computers' outlook on the Cardinals is much more favorable right now (Louisville was #9 in the computers in the last BCS, compared to #13 for West Virginia) and it can only improve in the short term if they keep winning.

Now the Louisville/Rutgers game next week takes on big national title implications, and just to warn you, Imran: The Scarlet Knights might be a heartwarming underdog story considering where you guys have come from, but next week, you're the villains as far as the Big East big-heads are concerned, because even if you guys beat Louisville and run the table, you don't have the strength (in the human polls) to contend for a national title the way Louisville does.

[SlowwHand]

RUTGERS!

Where is Rutgers? I suspect they're Yankees. That's ok.


RUTGERS!

[DanS]

Anyone who thinks that the WAC is anywhere near the caliber of the Big East this year is utterly foolish.

I was more hearkening back to the time when the WAC was fun 'n gun and fielding a defense was strictly optional.

Is anybody on Poly willing to argue that those defenses weren't pathetic last night? I mean, seriously, it made me thank my lucky stars that Notre Dame has such a quality defense.

[Imran Siddiqui]

As crazy as this sounds, guys - Louisville winning last night and being the team to go on a national title run may have been the better option for the Big East's hopes of having a national title game representative in the long run.

Er... that's not crazy and in fact many of the talking heads were actually saying this beforehand. That Louisville's wins over Miami and, perhaps bowl bound, Kentucky were more impressive than WVU's win over Maryland.

Louisville, I expect, will run the table. The computers lik them more, and they should be at least 3rd (and probably second, IMO) at the end of the season. Before the WVU game, Louisville was 9th in the computers. After beating WVU, I expect that to rise and after beating Rutgers to rise even more.

[DanS]

It's going to be difficult for Louisville to make it in to the national championship game. They aren't going to get a huge amount of love for beating Rutgers and even less for beating Pitt. In no ballot will they be ranked #1, and more likely many people will rank them #3, #4 or whatever.

Their best bet is to hope that the one-loss contingent won't develop a frontrunner.

[Drake Tungsten]

It'll be a travesty if Louisville goes undefeated and is excluded from the national title game.

[rah]

Yeah, I can see it now. Ohio State and Michigan playing twice this year.